Wall-hook for the vertical suspension of telephone receivers



QIu-Q Sept. 11, 1956 F. T. HUIZENGA ETAL 2,762,369

WALL-HOOK FOR THE VERTICAL SUSPENSION OF TELEPHONE RECEIVERS Filed Oct. 10, 1951 INVENTORS Foppe Theodorus Huizengu Antonie Hendrikus Uirerwijk nited States Patent WALL-HOOK FOR THE VERTICAL SUSPENSION 0F TELEPHONE RECEIVERS Foppe Theodorus Huizenga and Antonie Hendrikus Uiterwijk, Hilversum, Netherlands, assignors to Hartford National Bank and Trust Company, Hartford, 'Conn., as trustee Application October 10, 1951, Serial No. 250,636 Claims priority, application Netherlands October 18, 1950 2 Claims. (Cl. 179-159) This invention relates to wall-hooks for the vertical suspension of telephone receivers, for example, the re ceiver of a telephone handset, and more particularly to hooks having the form of a cup embracing the housing of the receiver. An example of these known hooks is shown at in Fig. l of the accompanying drawing. The handle 1, by which the supported receiver housing 2 is joined to a housing 3 containing the microphone, is accommodated in a recess 4 provided in the wall of the cup 5.

The cup-shape of such hooks affords the advantage that the receiver may be more readily deposited than with other known hooks. Furthermore, the chance of the receiver being accidentally lifted from the hook due to impacts or shocks is decreased if the receiver enters the supporting cup over a comparatively great depth.

However, it has been found that in mobile installations the known shape does not aflord sufficient guarantee against accidental lifting of the receiver. To remove or reduce this effect, according to the invention, we provide the hook with a spring-actuated clamping member (preferably in the form of a plunger) which resiliently presses against the housing of the receiver and clamps it against the cup. Consequently, in order to remove the receiver from the hook according to the invention, it is necessary to overcome not only the weight of the receiver but also the friction brought about by spring force.

A further improvement is obtained if the plunger or the like and the receiver housing exactly fit into one another, so that the plunger is depressed upon upward movement of the receiver with respect to the hook. When removing the receiver from the hook it is now necessary to overcome the spring force in addition to the afore-mentioned forces.

Wall hooks of known type have an inconvenience which becomes manifest more particularly when the space is limited, such as in motorcars and aircraft, and where impacts against the receiver can not be readily avoided. This inconvenience is the risk of breakage of the hook due to the lever action of the receiver upon lateral pressure thereon. This is made clear by the arrows in Fig. 1, showing the lateral forces exerted upon the receiver upon such impact occurring.

The clamping member in the wall-hook according to the invention reduces this risk of breakage. A wall-hook comprising a resilient clamp according to the invention need not embrace the receiver to such extent that a recess for the handle is essential. Even without this recess there is suflicient guarantee against accidental loosening of the receiver. Consequently, in a preferred form, the wall-hook according to the invention comprises as a support for the receiver a circular groove which embraces only the edge of the receiver housing and which, owing to the handle being left free, does not prevent rotation of the supported receiver in the circular groove. Consequently, if a lateral impact occurs, the receiver will perform a vertical oscillation with the centre of the housing as the centre of rotation. This oscillation is damped by 2,762,869 Patented Sept. 11, 1956 "ice:

. the friction brought about by the clamp resiliently pressing against the cover of the housing. If desired, use may be made of additional damping means such, for example, as rubber inserts in the circular groove. It is evident that in this construction the risk of breakage of the wall-hook is substantially avoided due to the handle not being enclosed.

The resilient clamp may, in addition, serve to move the conventional switch which requires to be actuated when the receiver is deposited.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, one example of a wall hook constructed in accordance therewith will now be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, and

Fig. 3 is an elevation with the receiver deposited.

Reference numeral 6 indicates the base of the wallhook, which is secured by means of screws 7 and 8 to a vertical mounting-plate 9. The wall-hook comprises a cup 10 to support the receiver of a telephone set. Provided in the wall-hook, coaxially with the cup 10, is a cylindrical plunger 11, having secured to it, at the back, a guide pin 12 which extends through a fixed spring-abutment 13. The latter supports a helical spring 14 pressing the plunger 11 outwardly. The movement of the plunger 11 towards the cup 10 is limited by a flange 15 provided on the guide pin 12 and abut-ting against a seat 16.

A switch provided behind the spring-abutment l3 and comprising resilient tongues 17 and 18 co-operates with the guide-pin 12. The switch 17, 18 is open when the receiver is removed from the wall-hook. When the receiver is introduced into the wall-hook, the plunger 11 has to be displaced against the spring force, the guidepin 12 then closing the switch 17, 18.

In Fig. 3, the wall-hook is shown with the receiver deposited, the receiver being part of a microtelephone 19. The receiver housing 20 is accommodated in the cup 10, whereas the microphone 21 engages the vertical mounting plate 9.

The plunger 11 and the housing 20 exactly fit into one another, since the plunger 11 has a part-spherical frontsurface which is accommodated in the usual depression of the receiver housing. Consequently, the plunger must be depressed upon upward movement of the receiver with respect .to the hook. Accidental loosening of the receiver is thus rendered difficult. For this purpose it is alternatively possible to make the edge of the cup em- Iliraie the supported receiver in an annular cavity at the Due to the microphone 21 having a more forward position than the receiver 20, the axis of the cup is inclined with respect to the horizontal axis. This inclined position is avoidable if the microphone does not project to the extent shown or if the instrument to be supported comprises a handle and a receiver only.

What we claim is:

1. A cup-shaped bracket attached to an apertured wall member for removably suspending a receiver housing of a telephone handset comprising a spring-actuated clamping member which resiliently engages a part of said re ceiver housing thereby urging and clamping another part of said receiver housing in said cup-shaped bracket, a guide pin secured to the rear of said clamping member, said guide pin being adapted to extend through the aperture in said wall member, and a switch activated upon movement of said clamping member and said guide pin.

2. A cup-shaped bracket attached to an apertured wall member for removably suspending a receiver housing of a telephone handset comprising a clamping member, a compression spring biasing a part of said receiver hous ing into engagement with said cup-shaped bracket, 2. guide pin secured to the rear of said clamping member, said guide pin being adapted to extend through the aperture in said wall member, and a switch secured to said Wall member on the opposite side of said cup-shaped bracket and activated upon movement of said guide pin.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Huff Apr. 19, 1949 

